STC’s The Picture of Dorian Gray and White Pearl rescheduled for 2022

Following the extension of the NSW Government stay-at-home orders, Sydney Theatre Company Artistic Director Kip Williams has announced that the productions White Pearl and The Picture of Dorian Gray, which were scheduled throughout July and August, will be programmed in the Company’s 2022 season.

The news comes just over a week after the Company announced that Triple X – the semi autobiographical trans love story by two-time Griffin Award-winning playwright Glace Chase – would also be postponed until early 2022.

Since the introduction of restrictions for Greater Sydney in June, STC has cancelled 172 performances nationally across six productions – Grand Horizons, Triple X, White Pearl, The 7 Stages of Grieving, The Picture of Dorian Gray and the Company’s Rough Draft program.

Williams Said:

Along with Triple X, the STC premiere of White Pearl and the encore season of The Picture of Dorian Gray were much-anticipated by our audience

Our cast, crew and creative teams work so hard in preparing these shows for the stage. So while it’s heartbreaking to have to cancel more performances, I am thrilled that we have been able to program these productions for our 2022 season. I am so proud of the work that STC has brought to our stages since we first returned last September – something that didn’t seem possible at many points. We are so grateful for the support we received to get us through and remain positive that we will come together in the theatre again as soon as possible

More details on the rescheduled performances will be announced at the Company’s 2022 season launch later this year.

Fast-paced dark comedy White Pearl by Anchuli Felicia King – a co-production between STC and Riverside’s National Theatre of Parramatta – was scheduled to be staged at STC from 15 July to 4 September. Directed by Priscilla Jackman, White Pearl documents the fallout at Singaporean-based cosmetics start-up Clearday after a racist ad for the company’s skin whitening cream goes viral.

Kip Williams’ acclaimed adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray stars Eryn Jean Norvill in a one-woman tour de force playing 26 characters. The show premiered to five-star reviews, sold-out audiences and two season extensions in 2020, and was due to play at the Roslyn Packer Theatre from 24 July to 22 August.